A8 - Elections & Voting

Question 1

What are the 4 principle models of representation?

Answer 1

1) Trusteeship
2) Delegation
3) The Mandate
4) Resemblance

Question 2

Trustee Model

Question 3

Delegate Model

Question 4

Mandate Model

Question 5

Resembalance Model

Question 6

Pros for Compulsory voting

Answer 6

1) Increased Participation
2) Greater Legitimacy
3) Civil Duty
4) Countering social disadvantages

Question 7

Cons for Compulsory voting

Answer 7

1) Abuse of freedom
2) Cosmetic democracy
3) Worthless votes
4) Distorted political focus

Question 8

Functions of Election

Answer 8

1) Recruiting Politicians
2) Making governments
3) Providing Representation
4) Influencing policy
5) Educating voters
6) Building Legitimacy
7) Strengthening elites

Question 9

Single-member plurality system SMP

Answer 9

Used:
The UK (HOC), the USA, Canada & India

Type:
Majoritarian

Features:
- The country is divided into single-member constituencies, usually of equal size.

• Voters select a single candidate, usually marking his or her name with a cross on the ballot paper
• The winning candidate needs only to achieve a plurality of votes (FPTP rule)

Question 10

Second Ballot System

Answer 10

Used:
Traditionally in France, but it is used for presidential elections in countries such as Austria, Chile & Russia.

Types:
Majoritarian

Features:
- There are single - candidate constituencies and single-choice voting, as in the SMP system

• To win on the first ballot, a candidate needs an overall majority of the votes cast
• If no candidate gains a first-ballot majority, a second, run-off ballot is held between leading two candidates

Question 11

Alternative Vote (AV);
Supplementary vote (SV)

Answer 11

Used:
Australia (House of Representatives [AV]) & UK (London Mayor [SV])

Type:
Majoritarian

Features:
- There are single-member constituencies

• There is preferential voting. In AV, voters rank the candidates in order of preference: 1 for their first preference, 2 for their second preference and so on. In SV, there is only a single ‘supplementary’ vote
• Wining candidates must gain 50% of all the votes cast.
• Votes are counted accordingly to the first preferences. If no candidate reaches 50%, the bottom candidate is eliminated & his or her votes are redistributed according to the 2nd (or subsequent) preferences. This continues until 1 candidate has a majority.
  In SV, all candidates drop out except the top two.

Question 12

Mixed-member proportional system (MMP)
Additional Member System (AMS)

Answer 12

Used:
Germany, Italy, New Zealand & UK (Scottish Parliament & Welsh Assembly)

Type:
Proportional

Features:
- A proportion of seats are filled by the SMP system using single-member constituencies

• The remaining seats are filled by using the part-list system
• Electors cast two votes: one for a candidate in the constituency election, and the other for a party

Question 13

Single Transferable vote (STV) System

Answer 13

Used:
The Republic of Ireland & the UK (Northern Ireland Assembly)

Type:
Proportional

Features:
- There are multimember constituencies, each which usually returns between 3-8 members.

• Parties may put forward as many candidates as there are seats to fill
• Electors vote preferentially, as in the AV system
• Candidates are elected, if they achieve a quota. This is the minimum no. of votes needed to elect the stipulated number of candidates, calculated according to the Droop formula:

quota = total number of votes cast/ (number of seats to be filled +1) +1

• The votes are counted according to first preferences. If not all the seats are filled, the bottom candidate is eliminated. His or her votes are redistributed according to second preferences and so on, until all the seats have been filled.

Question 14

Party-list systems

Answer 14

Used:
Israel; In countries throughout Europe including: Belgium, Luxembourg & Switzerland, and the European Parliament

Type:
Proportional

Features:
- Either the entire country is treated as a single constituency, or, in the case of regional party lists, there are a number of large multimember constituencies

• Parties compile lists of candidates to place before the electorate, in descending order of preference
• Electors vote for parties not candidates
• Parties are allocated seats in direct proportion to the votes they gain in the election. They fill these seats from their party list
• A ‘threshold’ may be imposed (5% in Germ) to exclude small, possibly extremist, parties from representation.

Question 15

What are the 4 theories of voting ?

Answer 15

1) Party-identification model
2) Sociological model
3) Rational-choice model
4) Dominant-ideology model

Question 16

Party-identification Model

Question 17

Sociological model

Question 18

Rational-Choice model

Question 19

Dominant-ideology model